The Way things Should Be
by Lilly Emerald
Summary: Stefan is trapped in the tomb with manipulative katherine, does this mean Damon stands a chance with Elena? Pairings katherine/Stefan, Damon/Elena
1. Chapter 1

**Nothing belongs to me. This is based on a spoiler I read about and is set in season 2, episode 10, The Sacrifice. **

**Stefan And Katherine**

The tomb was a place of darkness and death, a place that people feared . But right now it was looking positively homely...well, in a sick and twisted way. It had been a couple of weeks since Stefan had been stupidly trapped in there with the deadly vampire Katherine and Damon had brought them constant supplies of blood and candles. He had also brought books and magazines that he had said would help distract him from the bitch's manipulative words...but Stefan had thought it would take much more then that. Damon had almost successfully kept true to his word and kept Elena away from this place and him.

But the books and magazines lay unopened and untouched, they lay scattered on the floor where Bonnie had thrown them. Damon, unable to get things into the tomb itself without also being trapped had managed to persuade Bonnie to help him. It had been a huge big deal, with Bonnie being as against vampires as she was, But Elena hadn't wanted Jeremy going back there after what Katherine had done to him and so Bonnie had finally agreed to do this for her best friend, although she had said it was the last thing she would ever do and after this she was done with it. Of course they still needed her to try and get Stefan out of the tomb, but Damon was confident that they could talk her round eventually with enough guilt laid on her.

Stefan unfortunately, had not succeeded in being distracted and Katherine's whispered words had slowly started to get under his skin and she was beginning to drive him seriously crazy. It was like she could read his thought, always praying on his insecurities and his weaknesses. He was surely going to kill her any day now. But if he and Damon had been able to kill her wouldn't they have done it by now? Of course they would have. But she had a hold over them somehow and he didn't know how to break it.

He missed Elena terribly. The first couple of days when she had snuck down to the tomb and he had heard her crying out how she wished she could save him and how she wished she could just walk right in there and screw Katherine killing her. But then eventually Elena had stopped coming, knowing how foolish that would be, her just walking right in and relying on Stefan to save her when he was evenly matched with Katherine and who knew who would win in a forced fight to the death?

This was infuriating and he didn't know how much more of it he could take.

"Plotting my death again Stefan?" Came her low hiss of a voice from the only place where there wasn't candle light.

He growled at her in response.

"I can tell just by looking at you. I could always read you so well, Stefan. Because it's always been you in the end."

"Shut the hell up," he yelled at her, wishing that he had a weapon of any kind on him but he had nothing.

She laughed at him. God damn bitch was laughing at him. "I said shut up Katherine. Can't you just shut up and give me a moment's peace?"

She shook her head in amusement. "My dear Stefan. You can't give yourself a moment's peace let alone me giving you any. You and your poor tortured soul. But it's ok. I forgive you for wanting to kill me because I know that you would never be able to do it. You and Damon never have been able to. Because you still want me."

"Keep dreaming," he turned away from her.

"Admit it darling you always wanted me. You can say that I compelled you all you want but deep down you know what bullshit that is. And you can say all you want that you love Elena for who she is and that you know she isn't me, which may be true but you where first of all attracted to her because she looks like me. And that's the truth of it."

She laughed again at his look of disgust.

"Face it babe," she stood up and walked towards him slowly, reaching out to take his hand and entwining her fingers with hers. "You couldn't kill me because you need me here. Otherwise you would be alone in this place with just your thoughts for company and that would be a fate worse then death I think, right? My thoughts are much better then yours of course." She ignored the flinch of his hand that he had made when she first touched him.

"You and I belong together. There's a darkness in you that's always been there hiding under the surface. You just have to let go of everything and let it out."

"You're lying," he spat at her. "How can you be so...interested in getting me when there's the threat of Klaus over all of us?"

She stiffened slightly and looked away from him but not before he had seen the actual fear in her eyes. "Klaus is terrifying even to me," her voice was barely audible but then she seemed to regain her strength and she looked back at him. "But like I said before, now I'm in the safest place I can be and I'm with you. If on my own I would be contemplating suicide by now but...you're here to keep me occupied. Why would I need to worry about him? But your princess Elena...she has to worry."

Stefan finally seemed to remember that her hand was mixed up with his and with the super human strength that vampires were known for he threw Katherine away from him with so much force that she slammed into the stone wall behind them letting out a cry of shock at what he'd done.

"You want to play at that game?" She instantly recovered from his attack and ran at him letting her rage at him explode in punches to his face so fast that he had no time to block them and then she whirled round and kicked him hard in the stomach, it being his turn to collapse into the wall.

"You hurt me I hurt you. I could keep this up all night you know."

"But you could knock over our blood supplies and then we'd go without until Damon next get's here," he pointed out wearily.

"Damn you," she muttered. "Do you always have to think of every little thing to annoy me? I was just starting to have some fun."

He looked at her then, really looked at her and he grew sad. Sad for the woman that she had become and the woman that she could have become. "You really think this is fun?"

She rolled her eyes back at him. "Yes. We are vampires Saint Stefan. Sometimes I think you forget that. It's our true nature to fight and kill no matter how we try and stop it."

"We should try to fight for survival not for fun..." she'd managed to do it again. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop letting her in. He was trying to explain something to her...he might as well just forget it right now. She would never change. The only reason she had ever helped them was to get something she wanted. If she ever got out of this tomb she would run the first chance she got to get away from Klaus and that would prove that she had been using him all along. He had to remember that and remember what she really was. No matter how much she tried to talk to him...it would always end up in violence because he couldn't ever agree with anything she said.

She shrugged and casually walked over to the bottles of blood that where stacked against the wall and she slowly opened the bottle and drank, making a face. "Animal blood. Damon's gone soft. And I can think of so much more fun things for us to be doing Stefan."

"Like it or don't." He sat down on the floor and thought about picking up a book but he didn't. He didn't want to know what it was she was thinking about. He really didn't.

"So you told the prince of darkness to keep Elena away from here," she said finally. "Don't have a clue why you did that. Want to give me any hints honey?"

"It's none of your business," he answered her sharply. He didn't want to go down that road if he could help it... but he knew he was asking for too much.

"But you're going to tell me anyway."

"If you promise to shut up for at least half an hour maybe I will," he muttered.

"Done deal." She didn't really care in the least but if it would keep him talking so she could forget about how bored out of her mind she was and that she could get to him some more all the better.

"She needs to start to forget me instead of waiting around for the slight hope that I might get out of here."

"Oh don't worry sugar I think Damon will be helping a lot with the forgetting you part."

She was suddenly worried about the look in Stefan's eyes when she said that and worried about what he was about to do to her. Maybe she had gone too far with that last comment...

TBC

Pretty please leave a review I always like to know what people are thinking about my stories. Reviews inspire me to write more...


	2. Chapter 2

**I have now seen the episode by the light of the moon and I was a bit disappointed at how quickly they got Stefan out of the tomb but I did love the idea of them locking Elena in her house. Plenty of missed opportunities for Damon/Elena but oh well...we can make up for them in fan fiction lol. Tyler stole the episode for me I am liking him with Caroline...but anyone know if matt finds out anything about the supernatural? He does in the books.**

**Elena and Damon**

Elena hadn't talked to Damon in all the weeks since Stefan had been trapped with Katherine. She was furious beyond belief and whenever he came to check where she was or if she was ok she couldn't look him in the eyes.

He was following her constantly, her every move and it was driving her crazy. He seemed to be there in her house in the morning when she woke up having breakfast with her aunt and brother. He followed her to school and made sure that she still went.

The thing that was worse was that he had somehow roped in Bonnie and Jeremy to help him. That was how come he got away with being at the house every morning because of Jeremy. That, and Elena wouldn't put it past him that he had compelled he aunt. But even if she said something, no one would even listen to her. They all followed her every move.

She knew that they were only doing this for her own good. They made sure she still went to school and still went out with friends and did normal stuff because otherwise she would be down in that horrible dark tomb with Katherine and Stefan. Torturing herself with listening to Katherine playing mind games on Stefan, because that's what she was doing no doubt. And Stefan wouldn't come and talk to her. He hadn't the first few times she had snuck down there. And those times had been hell enough, the silence with Katherine's occasional evil laughter echoing in her ears as she fled after only a few minutes of being there, unable to stand the idea that Stefan wouldn't want to see her.

She understood it, she did. But did he have to be such a...a saint about things? She cringed at this word, a word Damon used to offend his brother, but she couldn't help it. It was just the right word...she would never admit this aloud of course.

Yes, she was furious with her friends and those who were supposedly family. She had never felt so trapped and alone even when she was surrounded by people because she felt like she couldn't trust anyone. They had all gone behind her back and planned this...who knew what they were capable of doing. Ok, maybe that was being a bit paranoid but still. She was surprised at Bonnie siding with Stefan and Damon since her friend hated all things to do with vampires.

So when she was watching TV and she was automatically flicking through the channels and Damon walked into her life yet again she snapped.

"I can't take this much more Damon," she turned off the TV and stood up, facing him abruptly. Her hands on her hips and her eyes flashing with anger, she was grateful to see the dark vampire actually look like he was paying attention to her. "I don't see how you have any right to do this to me. You of all...things." she knew that word would hurt him, being called a thing. As if he didn't truly exist.

"Why are you keeping this stupid promise to Stefan? You hate Stefan. You hate me and I hate you. Why would you even want to go this far to protect me?"

"Do we really want to use the word hate here cupcake?" his tone was as sarcastic as ever but she could tell she had struck a nerve somewhere. "And I don't think you really want to go there do you? So are you done?"

She looked away from him yet again almost close to tears she was so frustrated. He was repeating words he had already used on her. Nothing ever changed with them, always dancing round in circles. When would it change? She was suddenly very tired of fighting. She suddenly wanted to stop dancing and just be still, to try and work everything out. She wanted for everything to be over.

"I don't want to do this anymore Damon," she told him quietly and very bluntly. The whole truth and nothing but the truth.

"You and Jeremy and Bonnie...we should all be sitting down together to try and find out a way to break the spell on the tomb...to release Stefan. And we should be thinking of ways to defeat Klaus instead of fighting amongst ourselves. So...you can all relax and stop treating me like I'm a child. I'm not going to spend all my life down in the tomb and I'm not going to go on anymore suicide missions ok? And...I don't hate you...there have been plenty of times when I have hated you but..."

"We're not doing a soppy tear jerker moment here are we?" Because really Elena there are so many issues we have it would fill a whole movie. I think I need a drink for this...does your aunt have anything?"

"I'm just saying we need to work together all right? What's wrong with that?"

"So many things. I could start with the word hate. You hate me. Fine, I accept that. I accept what I am. I'm an evil blood sucking fiend who causes mayhem and pain and hurt wherever I go and I don't think about anyone else. You hate me because I nearly killed your brother...step brother, my mistake. You hate me for being me. But can you accept the reasons why I might hate you? Why I find it so difficult just to work with you sometimes?"

She went silent thinking that a drink would be a good idea...even though she had only tasted alcohol once or twice in her life. She wasn't sure she could handle this now or what was coming up. "Why?" she whispered.

Damon looked like he was shaking with uncontrolled emotions suddenly all boiling up to the surface and she didn't know why it was happening now.

"Because this has been killing me Elena. Watching you suffer like this these past two weeks...ever since you split up with my stupid brother you have been suffering. Watching you be like a trapped animal...when that's clearly not you. But once I make a promise I always keep it. I try to always keep it. I may be evil but I like to think I have honour. I hate the fact that I love you and you don't even know this. That it's always been about Stefan and you haven't even begun to see what's right in front of your eyes. I've told you this before. But then I've compelled you to forget because I would only cause you more pain. So that's why I hate you. Because I love you and I can't do anything about it and because you don't want me to."

There was a shocked silence between them, a silence in which she thought if someone started to talk four or five miles away then she would be able to hear them. And suddenly she was able to meet his eyes and she saw that he was telling her the truth and this time she couldn't stop the tears. "Damon..." she wanted to say something but once he had started he didn't stop.

"I hate you because you're making me feel things again Elena. And I'm sorry about your brother I really am but sorry just isn't good enough. So I think that all of my reasons far outweigh your stupid reasons for hating me."

"Damon please..." she tried to interrupt again but she couldn't. His speech was confusing her and making it hard to think clearly. She needed time to think.

"So you tell me now how we are all supposed to work together after this? Where do we go from here? I'll tell you where. Since you said you weren't going to do anything stupid I take that as a promise to me and your family that you mean it. Which means I'm free of my promise too Stefan to look out for you. I can leave you in peace and you get what you want...you never have to see me again."

Ashamed and humiliated beyond belief at his big outburst Damon knew that he would have to leave now and lay low for a long time. He would have to do something terrible to make him stop looking like such a wimp. Because this wasn't him was it and he didn't know where it had come from except that she seemed to bring this side out of him. His human side. But it couldn't be him. He turned and vanished into the night leaving a stunned Elena behind him

TBC

Would Damon really leave Elena and her friends defenceless against Klaus? Next update will be up soon but pretty please leave a little tiny review just to say if you liked it or hated it...I love to know what you all think!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Elena**

She stared at the empty space where Damon had once been and thought to herself how had everything got so messed up? Everything in her mind and heart was screaming at her to go after him and to tell him she was sorry. Surely he could understand her anger at what had happened to Jeremy? That she couldn't just let things go like he could and she never would be like that?

She didn't want to hate Damon Salvatore. But he obviously hadn't believed what she had told him. And where had that outburst of his come from? He loved her? She was stunned.

She walked back to the kitchen and slowly sat down on one of the chairs in the room, not quite sure what to do with herself.

Damon, prince of darkness, loved her? Was he even capable of love?

For just a few minutes she allowed herself to imagine what it would be like to be loved by Damon. He would no doubt treat her like she was the centre of his world, buying her expensive gifts and the like, but she wouldn't ask where he got the money from.

He would no doubt always protect her from the evils of the world, protect her and all of her friends if she asked him to. He was one of the only allies that she had to help her defeat Klaus when he finally made himself known to them. There was Caroline, but she was so wrapped up in her secrets that she was becoming unreliable. There was Bonnie, but although a powerful witch, she was still human and no match for the most powerful of vampires.

And then that's where the doubts about Damon's love crept in. how long would he love her until another pretty girl or woman walked by? How long would he be reliable to her? Would she ever be able to trust him? He said he had honour and he loved her but he had loved Katherine...was he just loving her to annoy his brother? Like he had before, he had wanted Katherine because Stefan wanted her.

And that was another thing. Stefan. She was supposed to be with Stefan wasn't she? Sure they were on a break but...they had been on breaks before. How did she really know for sure that either of them loved her for being herself and not for her looks? Stefan had told her often enough that he knew she wasn't Katherine but a part of her would always doubt it. Maybe she should of stayed with Matt, it would have been a whole lot less confusing. Maybe she should be with someone who wasn't a Salvatore, who knew nothing of Katherine. So she wouldn't ever have any doubts again.

But she couldn't deny that she felt...something for Damon. But could she get past all the damage he had done in his past? All the people he had killed for his own selfishness? Could she ignore the monster that was a part of him? Maybe...if he could prove that he had changed. She had loved Stefan despite what he was,

Stefan. If she acted on her lust for Damon it would change who she was completely, it would change her life. Bonnie might never talk to her again. And she couldn't just switch off her feelings for Stefan could she? How can you just fall out of love with someone just like that? You couldn't. You could think about someone sure but...she needed to see Stefan and talk about everything with him. More then anything she didn't want history to repeat itself, didn't want the brother's arguing again over her like they had over Katherine. But Stefan would surely hate her for feeling anything towards Damon and she had had enough of the word hate for one evening. This was the last time she would go down to the tomb, she decided. Even if Stefan wouldn't talk to her he needed to hear her out. She couldn't do anything behind his back because she wasn't like that.

She turned and grabbed her bag and walked determinedly out of the house but she hadn't walked far into the dark night when she heard footsteps behind her. She froze and the footsteps stopped too. She whirled round but there was no one behind her. She turned round again to continue walking but she ran straight into Elijah. She tried to scream but she couldn't.

"I wouldn't scream if I were you," he warned her.

She continued to listen to what he had to say with growing horror at it all, and she only agreed to his request at luring Klaus out of hiding because he agreed to get Stefan out of the tomb.

This was it. She would be able to finally see Stefan and sort everything out and be able to do it face to face.

**Damon**

"What's wrong?" Rose stood up as Damon stormed into the boarding house that he called home and the anger on his face actually scared her. She hurried to step out of his way as he brushed roughly by her and into the main room heading straight for the alcohol.

"Idiot," he muttered to himself as if she wasn't there. "How could you have to done that?"

Rose walked up to him and placed a hand on his arm gently, trying to sooth him. But her touch wasn't working.

He finally looked up and noticed her presence and he stiffened. "Just leave me alone Rose, please."

Rose pulled her hand away, hurt by the coldness in his voice. "Well, obviously this has something to do with Elena right?" she snapped at him angrily. "That's fine. I'm sure you'll get over it Damon, you always do. And I'll be here waiting for you. But I won't wait forever you know."

Good, she was gone. The alcohol wasn't cutting it. He needed blood. Or violence, or maybe both. But a part of him couldn't move and he just stared numbly in front of him.

He wouldn't get anywhere with Elena if the first thing he did was go out and kill someone. But did he even have any chance with her now? After that little speech he doubted that she would believe half of what he said anyway. And she was still hung up on Stefan.

Maybe he should go and check on his brother. In a strange and twisted way it would distract him from thinking things even though Stefan was always the root of his problems.

**Stefan and Katherine**

"How long has it been since you tasted human blood Stefan?" Katherine continued on with her relentless questions and mind games, seemingly oblivious to Stefan's anger at her earlier words about Elena and Damon.

"Aren't you craving for it? The rush and thrill of everything my way of life has to offer you? Don't you just want to take it all and forget everything else?"

Stefan rushed towards her and in seconds he was standing close to her. Their fight had taken them both to the entrance of the tomb now but neither could cross over it into freedom.

"What does it take to get you to shut up?" Stefan could feel himself loosing control of the situation. Images were popping into his mind of ways that could shut her up, shut them both up. What was she doing to him? Was she compelling him? At this point he wasn't even sure what thoughts were his own.

The next minute his lips where roughly on hers, he felt her wrapping her arms around him and he was loosing track of the time, of everything. Warning bells where ringing loudly in his mind but soon the feel of her was blocking everything out, even the word Elena that was screaming at him. It felt so familiar to him. He was instantly transported back in time to when he had been human and just a man in love with a pretty woman. He hadn't known what he knew now.

He wasn't sure how long he was in this haze of emotions, how long he lost control for. When they finally broke apart they were both as shocked as each other. Then Katherine grinned.

"Well, now. I must say I had expected you to last longer then that before you cracked. Hello Elena. Did you catch the show?"

Katherine started to laugh like an insane woman and Stefan felt sick.

"Elena," he whispered. "I'm sorry...it's not what it looks like. She compelled me." The last words he shouted, just to make sure that everyone was clear that what had happened wasn't his fault in anyway. That he would never have done anything like that of his own free will.

There were tears in Elena's eyes and she turned to look at Elijah who wasn't looking amused.

"Do you still want him out of the tomb Elena?" Elijah asked her coldly. "I must admit although I need you for what we discussed about Klaus, that if I were you I'd want them both locked up in there for all eternity."

Elena didn't know what to think. All she wanted to do was to run as far away from that place as possible. She wasn't even sure why she had wanted to come. Then she remembered. Could she really be mad at Stefan for kissing Katherine when she had been thinking about Damon and her and Stefan where on a break? Didn't this make things slightly easier anyway?

But she still felt a hint of betrayal on Stefan's part, who didn't know what she had been thinking and had gone behind her back anyway. They were both in the wrong here but...wasn't Stefan worse then her right now? He had acted, she hadn't.

"I didn't compel you Stefan," Katherine was saying, just to shake things up probably. But the way she said it made Elena think she was telling the truth.

"I want Stefan out of the tomb," Elena murmured.

Elijah nodded. "Then it's done. But not for you," as Stefan walked out of the tomb Katherine froze in place, compelled by Elijah.

Elena took one look at Stefan.

"She did compel me Elena I swear. It's like the thoughts were not my own you have to believe me," instantly with asking for forgiveness. Elena felt full of sadness and turned and ran as fast as she could

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"I want Stefan out of the tomb," Elena said the words in a tone of defeat, not able to look at the man she had loved...still loved. She had given everything and more to Stefan. She had thought about Damon sure, but she would never have acted on anything without telling Stefan how she felt.

"I thought vampires couldn't influence other vampires," she said to Stefan coldly her words like drops of ice.

"It was like a dream in my head like a ..."

"I wasn't asking for any details. I can't..." Elena was at a loss for words, pain and betrayal seemed to flow through every one of her veins instead of blood and it hurt like hell. Tears threatened to fall but there was no way she was going to cry in front of Stefan or Katherine. No way.

"I can compel vampires though," Elijah said smugly, clearly enjoying this. "And you're staying in there princess," he informed Katherine evilly.

Elena had had enough. Everything had changed now. She needed to get out of there.

She ran as fast as she could, not really caring where she went or where she ended up. She just needed to run, to escape. She didn't care about anything right then, Not Jenna or Jeremy or Bonnie or Caroline, or Matt. People who loved her, who wouldn't want to see anything happen to her. She didn't care about all of that. She just needed to run away.

The tears did start to fall then and they almost blinded her, she had to stop running and she realised that she had been running towards where the Salvatore brothers lived. Why she had been running here she had no idea, just that it was familiar and safe, although the image of Stefan didn't exactly make her feel safe anymore. It made her want to feel sick was the first reaction when everything finally settled in. How could he have done that to her? She would never have done something like that to him...would she?

No. Even if she and Damon had been trapped in that tomb for months she wouldn't have gone behind Stefan's back. Not willingly.

Then, after she was done with the feeling sick part she felt incredibly sad and sank down to the ground, lost and confused. Part of her was lost and she would never be the same again.

"Elena?" the voice was deep and husky and made her jump. "Elena? What's wrong?"

She didn't need to look up to see that it was Damon. He knelt down beside her, carefully and slowly as if afraid that he would scare her...or break her.

"I...I keep thinking that there must be some reason this happened. Maybe I did something. Maybe I wasn't everything he needed me to be or I wasn't strong enough or something. I just keep seeing them...do I have to tell you? Can't you just read my mind and know? Can't this all be over now?" the tears were falling freely now and she was falling apart in front of Damon of all people. This was horrible.

Damon sighed and nodded

"I know Elena."

Damon had felt her pain from clear across town. It had hit him like a bolt of lightning and he had known instantly that she was here. And now he knew why. Still high on emotion from their last meeting he wasn't exactly sure how to respond to this. Elena may be worried that they were both comparing her to Katherine but she would always be comparing him to Stefan if anything were to happen between them wouldn't she? He would always be second best or he would be the rebound for her. Against everything in his nature he knew she wanted someone to listen to her, to be her friend.

But he was Damon Salvatore, creature of the night and a blood sucking monster. He didn't do the vampire with a soul, lets help the helpless and be friends with everyone routine. How could she expect him to be someone he wasn't?

"Damon please help me," she whispered, finally looking up at him with such sorrow in her eyes he probably would have done anything she asked him to do. "I want to forget, please make me forget."

He closed his eyes and tried to be patient with her. She was acting irrationally and had asked him the one thing he could never do. Too many things would need changing to make it work. Jeremy knew about vampires and he would let it slip to her eventually. If she ever saw Katherine or Stefan again it would remind her. If she wanted to totally forget about everything he would have to make her forget that anything supernatural existed and what about Bonnie and Caroline? And even Tyler? It was too risky.

"I can't," he took her hand and gently pulled her to her feet. "I can't Elena. But I can walk you home. You probably don't want to be here when Stefan comes looking for you."

"Can you stay with me? I don't want to be alone right now I just..." she shook her head. "Why can't you?"

"Sleep on it," he told her firmly. "Things will seem clearer tomorrow morning. And what about Jenna? If she catches me..."

"She won't. Not if you're the Damon I remember," she weakly tried to be funny but wasn't pulling it off well.

He took her hand and held it lightly, as they started to walk. He could sense Rose standing at the doorway to the boarding house looking after them with narrowed eyes but he didn't look back. He could only think about Elena, only sense everything about her, her heart beating so fast and her fresh and original scent.

No, this isn't right, this isn't you. You hunt, you kill, you maim and torture you don't protect people. The voice haunted him all the time they were walking, all the while he lay in her bed and held her in his arms as he watched her sobs fade away and fall into a troubled sleep. It haunted him as he watched her dreaming, probably nightmares.

He had to admit that as much as he hated his brother, it didn't make any sense that he would hurt Elena this way. There had to have been some reason, some explanation for his actions, because they weren't just Katherine's actions that's for sure. Not what he had sensed through Elena anyway. It just wasn't a very saint Stefan thing to do.

One thing was definite, when he next saw his brother he was going to hurt him badly.

**Thank you for all of your reviews so far. Only one more chapter left to go, but I promise I have another Vampire Diaries story planned that is much longer then this. But I kind of want to get all my stories I've written already finished lol. Hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think. Next is the big confrontation with Stefan lol. **


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the lack of updates, it has been a horrible month with hospital and family and work. And there won't be another update on my other story at least until after this week because of work again, I'm sorry for those of you still reading. Let me know what you think with a lovely nice review that will make up for all the horribleness of real life at the moment lol.

Chapter 5

Stefan found himself outside of the Gilbert home with confusion and doubt in his mind. Damon was inside that house, he could sense him holding his Elena. Although Elena was no longer his it seemed. And that was entirely his fault. Elena had always seen the best in him, even in his darkest moments, and now he had lost even that faint hope that he could earn his redemption and that he could deserve her love. Katherine had tapped into the part of him that had been kept deeply hidden. The part of him that was free from guilt and decision making and thinking about others, the part of himself that no one in mystic falls had even come close to seeing now.

So did that make him the bad brother then? Was Damon the good one?

He understood that Elena was hurting and she needed comfort from someone who was familiar in her life who hadn't hurt her like he had.

How could he have kissed Katherine? How could he have betrayed her like that? It was the ultimate betrayal and he could understand her never wanting to see him again. But he wanted to see Elena, more then anything. If only to explain, or try to get her to see that it wasn't too late for him.

But he had to admit, if only to himself, that kissing Katherine hadn't been all that bad. It had made him remember everything they had ever shared as if it was yesterday. She was a part of who he was and he could no longer deny that. She had helped him become who he was today. But without Elena who was he really except a monster?

He needed to get into that house and before he knew what he was doing he was banging on the door and yelling her name. It was so out of character for him that it shocked him so much that he didn't think that he would ever be ready for what happened next.

The door swung open and Damon stood before him anger flashing in the depths of his eyes. "Leave, now," the warning was clear and Stefan would be foolish not to listen. But he didn't pay any attention to his brother.

"I need to see Elena..." he started.

"I heard you before you knocked, brother. And I can tell you right now that she doesn't ever want to see you again. You'd better go before you wake up Jenna and Jeremy and then...it will be Elena that kills you."

"Please, I don't want anymore fighting." Elena's voice was soft and almost childlike in a whisper and it made them both turn towards her in silence.

"Stefan," she said, her voice a little bit stronger now. "You have to know that things have changed now forever. You mayor may not have been compelled, but it didn't take long for her to work her magic wicked ways on you and...that's something I need time to think about. And...things just can't ever go back."

He hung his head in shame and regret. "I'm so sorry."

She smiled sadly, more tears in her eyes. "I know you are. I am too. We've...drifted apart you and I. I don't think we can ever be together again after this. There's too much trust lost between us."

"And I think there's too much history with Katherine for you to sort out."

Stefan's eyes turned towards Damon instantly.

She held up her hand. "And before you start on why Damon is here, then I needed someone. But nothing has happened and...while my head is still a mess of your making there's no chance of me being with anyone else right now."

"Not that she owes you any explanation, Stefan," Damon growled angrily.

"And that's all I have to say, Stefan. You'd better start accepting things and soon. We still need to work together to figure out how to solve things with Elijah and Klaus and that whole...lot of craziness. But don't expect any friendly phone calls anytime soon. I'm sure you will have Katherine to keep you company anyway."

The instant she said that she regretted it. It cheapened her whole speech which had been going perfectly so far. It also made her want to burst into more tears, but she refused to cry in front of Stefan. It was so immature and childish and...she took a deep breath and tried hard to pull herself together. "I didn't mean...forget I said that ok? I just want to go to sleep and not have to deal with Jenna yelling at me."

"I can hear her moving around upstairs," Damon said quietly, leaning closer to her.

Nothing may be happening between her and Damon, but she was glad that he was there and giving her the strength she needed.

Stefan turned without saying a word and disappeared into the shadows of the night.

"I actually think we made him angry," Damon commented as they closed the door behind them.

"I don't...want any of this. I just want..." Elena shook her head in frustration. "What if he does something...I just think I could have handled things better."

Damon laughed. "This is brilliant, really. I couldn't have planned it better. Stefan has done the unthinkable and he's got you thinking you're in the wrong somehow."

"Damon, please..."

"I'm sorry. It's just that you have nothing to worry about. He has to worry about a lot. You're lucky that I didn't get into a serious fight with him though."

"Jenna wouldn't have been happy."

"Since when am I the good one who listens to other people?" He frowned, thinking about that one.

"Sleep, Damon. We need sleep now. I'm sure things will be better in the morning"

...

Katherine smiled as she felt Stefan's presence enter the tomb. "I knew it wouldn't be long before you came back. So tell me, just how is princess Elena doing?"

"Shut up," he snapped at her.

"That's all you ever say to me Stefan. A girl wouldn't normally put up with the way you treat me but I'm more patient then most. One of these days you'll come round to the idea of us."

"I don't think that's ever going to happen. There was us Katherine. Over a hundred years ago and I think you'll find that you ruined it yourself. Things can't ever be the same again."

"Yes but things can become brand new again as well Stefan. Just know that one way or antoher you and your brother...and I'm sure even Elena will end up helping me out of here. You'll end up needing me, I can feel it."

"I shouldn't have come here," he turned to go, but as usual her parting words made him stop and listen, even when he knew they shouldn't.

"You belong here with me Stefan. You always have belonged with me."

He turned to stare at her. "Even if that's true," he said. "We are both evil. I'm sure that no good can ever come of two evil monsters together."

"Who said anything about anything being good?" she looked genuinely puzzled.

"Well if two people are going to spend eternity together they have to love each other. How can things like us love? How do I know I ever loved Elena considering what happened tonight? How do I know anything about who I really am?"

"You'll get over this Stefan," she assured him as he left her on her own again. "And I'll be waiting when you do."

The end.


End file.
